Finding good family movies that you and your kids can enjoy together doesn’t have to be difficult. There are plenty of movies available to you, depending on the age of your kids. If you have very young children, you’ll probably want to stick to movies that are animated.
Toy Story, Shrek, Despicable Me, Wall-E, and others are good choices for kids who are little. Animated movies hold children’s attention better than live-action films do, but keep in mind that sometimes animated movies can have a little bit of off-color or crude humor. If possible, watch the movie without your kids first, so you’ll know if there’s anything in it you might object to.
If you have older kids, you have more options. You don’t have to always show them G rated movies, and you may want to consider PG or even PG-13 shows, depending on your kids’ ages and their maturity levels. Some younger kids can handle more mature themes, while some older children still struggle with them. Because that’s the case, you’re the best gauge of what’s acceptable and appropriate for your children, no matter what ages they are. You know them best, and you have the best idea about their level of mental and emotional maturity and development.
Teenagers may be more interested in movies like Harry Potter or Twilight, but some of the themes in those movies may be too much for preteens. Consider kid-friendly movies carefully, even if they have a G rating, and especially if you have strong values, beliefs, or opinions about specific themes that might be in a particular movie. Reading reviews and asking other parents can help. As a parent, “going with your gut” is often the best way to pick a movie for the family.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money at the theater to have a good time watching kid-friendly movies, either. Many movie choices are available through cable and satellite TV providers, and there are other kinds of subscription services you can join if you want to have more choices. Of course, video rental stores are still around, and you can often get movies that have been out for a little while very inexpensively. The same is true with the “bargain bins” that many retailers offer. Just be sure, if you buy from those bins, that you learn about the movie and what it offers before you show it to your children.